Birth registered as HARRY DODD. He was born during the June quarter 1891
in the Altrincham R.D. - ref: 8a/209, the son of William Thomas & Elizabeth
Dodd (nee Hancox). At the time of the 1881 Census William & Elizabeth
were residing on Altrincham Road, Bollington (in the house next to "New
Hill Farm"), presumably where Harry was born a few months later.
1901 Census - Dunham Woodhouses. Son - (listed as HENRY DODD), aged: 9 -
born: Bollington. Head of household - William Dodd - Married - aged: 40
- occ: Bricksetter - born: Dunham Massey. Also - Elizabeth Dodd - Wife -
aged: 42 - born: Donnington Wood, Shropshire. Plus 6 siblings, including
Joseph and James, plus 4 sisters.
Attended Warburton School.
WO363 - (Early 1908). Attested at Manchester into the Lancashire Fusiliers
No.1415, on the 18th March 1908. He was aged: 18 years 0 months and
employed as a Bricklayer, residing at Bollington. He was 5 feet 4 5/8th
inches in height; he weighed 115 lb; his chest measurements were 31 inches
expanded to 33 1/2 inches. His complexion was - Fresh; eyes - Grey; with
dark brown hair. He had a scar on the knuckle of his right hadn
forefinger. his religion - Methodist. His father was - William Dodd,
Bollin Cottage, Dunham Massey. He had two brothers - Joseph, residing in
Manchester - address unknown and James, who was residing with his father.
He joined the LF's at Bury on the 20th March 1908 and was posted into the
2nd Battalion on the 30th May 1908. On the 28th April 1909, he was given
10 days detention by the C.O. On the 23rd March 1910, he was detained in
custody until his trial on the 5th May 1910. He was tried by Court
Marshal and sentenced to 112 days imprisonment with stoppages of pay for
(1) Stealing Goods, the property of a comrade. (2) Desertion. (3) Loss of
clothing. (4) Willfully injuring public property. He was found guilty.
All former service was forfeited and on the 7th May 1910, he was discharged
from the Army for misconduct.
1911 Census - Bollin Cottage Meadow Lane, Dunham Massey. (Listed as HARRY
DODD). Son - aged: 19 - occ: Bricksetter's Labourer - born: Bollington.
Head of household - William Thomas Dodd - Married - aged: 50 - occ:
Bricklayer - born: Dunham Massey. Also - Elizabeth Dodd - Wife - aged: 51
- born: Donnington Wood, Shropshire. Plus 3 younger siblings. According
to the census return, William & Elizabeth had been married for 30 years and
had produced 7 children (4 girls and 3 boys) in total who were all still
alive. However, his niece - Carol Johnson informs me that he had another
son - James Henry Dodd, born in January 1886 and baptised at St. Margaret's
P.C. on the 29th January 1886. He died in the spring of 1887. This would
make sense of the 7 year gap between the births of his second and third
children. Carol has also kindly sent me a photograph of Harry in his Army
uniform c1914.
Formerly 79054 - Royal Field Artillery.
Enlisted as a Driver in the RFA in August 1914 and was posted to the front
in October 1914. Later transferred to the Special Company. Royal
Engineers (they dealt with gas warfare). His Later (1914) WO363 record
was unfortunately lost during the WW2 fire bombing of London where they
were stored. As at some point he was promoted to the rank of Lance
Corporal, it would appear that his military record the second time round
was measurably better than his first!
Home on leave from 16/06/1917 to 26/06/1917.
Received a shell shrapnel wound in a trench and died an hour later in an
Advanced Dressing Station.
Seven Special Brigade Companies were employed in the preparations for the
third Battle of Ypres which commenced on the 31st July 1917. Although
Lance Corporal Dodd had been killed by then, between the 15th and 21st July
as a prelude to the commencement of this Battle, over 100 tons of military
gas (Chlorine & Phosgene the most commonly used) was discharged by the
British between these dates. This gas was delivered to the enemy by means
of 5,100 Projector Drums (these were 8 inch "mortar" type bombs filled with
30lb of Phosgene) and 14,000 Stokes Mortars (these were the same as the
standard mortars except that they were 4 inches in diameter instead of the
usual three inches), but could be fired very quickly to produce a strong
gas cloud over the enemies positions. At Zero Hour (3.50am) on the
31st July 330 oil-drums and 1,300 Thermite bombs were fired over the heads
of the advancing British Infantry. All prepared and delivered by the
"Special Brigade".
Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1918, which states
that he was serving with the Royal Field Artillery.
Harry's parents William Thomas & Elizabeth Dodd received financial support
from the "John Sington Fund".
The John Sington Fund - John Sington was the son of Adolphus Sington, a
Jewish Prussian shipping merchant who came to Britain and in 1845 became a
naturalised citizen. Adolphus had his own company, involved originally in
the production of linen and cotton, and later the import and export of
machinery for the cotton industry. John and at least one of his brothers
worked in their father's business in Princess Street, Manchester.
In 1885 John married Mildred Campbell Maclure, daughter of Sir John William
Maclure, Bt., who became MP for Stretford the following year. John and
Mildred had two sons, Alan John Campbell Sington and Edward Claude Sington.
In 1914 both sons enlisted in the British Army, and their father is listed
in The Gazette in 1915 as Major John Sington, Royal Engineers Territorial
Force Reserve. In 1909 the Sington family moved from Whalley Range to
Dunham House, on Charcoal Road, Dunham.
When Major John Sington's two sons returned safely from active service
during WW1 he established a fund 'as a Thanksgiving Offering for their safe
return for the benefit of the wives, children and dependants of any men
who, as a result of service with His Majesty's Forces or the Mercantile
Marine, have died or been killed or disabled, and for the benefit of any
members of His Majesty's Forces or the Mercantile Marine who have been
disabled as a result of such service.' The fund's scope was limited to
those who had been resident in the Urban District of Bowdon or the village
of Dunham Town for at least six months.
Six trustees were appointed, namely, John Bleckly, Henry Edwin Gaddum,
William Alfred Hampson, Joseph Kenworthy, Joseph Watson Sidebotham and the
Major himself. The Clerk to the Trustees was Willis Paterson the Bowdon
UDC Solicitor, 11 Stamford Street, Altrincham to whom applications for
grants had to be made. Information about the Fund and its beneficiaries
was kindly supplied by Cynthia Hollingworth from the records kept in
Trafford Local Studies Library.